MLB.com is reporting that the Royals and Alex Gordon have agreed to a multiyear deal, pending a physical. Buster Olney of ESPN says the deal is worth $72 million over four-years.

An announcement from the team could come as soon as today.

Gordon rejected a qualifying earlier before becoming a free agent. Gordon, the 2nd overall pick in 2005 has been with the Royals his entire career. The 31-year old is a lifetime .269 hitter and the winner of four Gold Glove Awards in left field. Gordon is just a career .222 hitter in the postseason with 3 HRs and 17 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .333.

11 of the 25 members of the 2015 World Series champs spent time at Triple-A Omaha

As the Manager of Sports News for Learfield News and Ag, I had the privilege to report on sports for two of our company’s networks. Before turning over the reigns to Todd Kimm this spring, one was right here at Nebraska Radio Network and the other in Missouri.

That position provided me a rare opportunity to not only follow the 2014 American League Champion and 2015 World Series Champion Kansas City Royals, but I also followed many of those players as they made their way up the system, which included successful stops at Triple-A affiliate Omaha.

Starting with the 2011 season, Omaha’s Triple-A club changed their name from Royals to Storm Chasers. That first year, under the direction of their longtime manager Mike Jirschele, Omaha finished in first place for the first time in 21 years.

The Storm Chasers went 79-63 and won the American Conference playoff series by beating the Round Rock Express 3-1. Omaha then beat Sacramento 3-0 for their first Pacific Coast League Championship since 1990.

Hosmer made his major league debut that year after playing in 28 games for Omaha. The overall 3rd pick in the 2008 draft hit .437 in his short time with the Storm Chasers. The same can be said for 21-year old catcher Salvador Perez. The World Series MVP debuted with the Royals on August 11th of 2011. However, Omaha was a short stay for the kid behind the plate who started the year at Double-A ball before moving on after just 12 games in Omaha. Perez also spent just 12-games in Omaha in 2012.

In fact, of all the World Series champs who spent time in Omaha, Dyson was the only player to not see time with the big league club in 2011.

During the 2012 season Christian Colon, the 4th overall pick in the 2010 draft, made his debut with Omaha. New York starter Matt Harvey was selected three players later, 7th overall. Colon, who was left off the 2014 World Series roster with a finger injury, showed no rust at the plate in the 12th inning of their World Series clincher. His single scored Dyson, putting the Royals on top 3-2. They eventually won Game 5, 7-2.

Colon’s major league postseason batting numbers in three at-bats: 2-for-2 with a walk, two runs scored, an RBI and stolen base 1.000 avg

After Colon’s single, Royals first base coach Rusty Kuntz came up to Colon and gave him a fist bump to the chest yelling “Gimme some…atta boy…Hell yeah!!!”

In 2013, it was the arrival of Yordano Ventura, who started at Double-A Northwest Arkansas before being called up to Omaha where he made 14 starts.

I also can’t forget former Husker and Lincoln native Alex Gordon, who spent part of 2010 in Omaha learning how to play left field. The former third baseman gave way to Mike Moustakas and saved his career by turning into a Gold Glove major league left fielder.

The Storm Chasers also continued their run in 2014 after manager Mike Jirschele was called up to coach third base for the Royals. In those four seasons from 2011-2014, the Omaha Storm Chasers went 308-265 and won three PCL Championships and two Triple-A National Championships.

Nebraska lost to the Illini in the Big Ten Tournament (photo courtesy/Illinois Athletics)

Big Ten Tournament, Illinois rallied to beat Nebraska 3-2. The Huskers broke a scoreless tie in the top of the sixth with two runs on four straight hits, including back-to-back doubles from Tanner Lubach and Luis Alvarado. The Illini rallied in the bottom of the sixth with three singles and sac fly. A bases loaded single in the bottom of the eighth put Illinois on top. For Illinois, it’s their 27th win in a row that’s a Big Ten record. Texas and Florida hold the NCAA record of 34.

Two-time All-Big Ten pitcher Chance Sinclair made his 31st career start on Wednesday night and gave the Huskers 5.2 strong innings, as he allowed two runs on four hits and two walks, while striking out four. Sinclair allowed one hit over the first five innings, with three of Illinois’ four hits off of Sinclair coming in the sixth.

The Nebraska baseball team has three players honored by the Big Ten on their all-conference second team. Catcher Tanner Lubach, outfielder Ryan Boldt and starting pitcher Chance Sinclair made the list. Illinois, the Huskers opponent in the Big Ten Tournament opener on Wednesday landed six players on the first-team.

Relief pitcher Josh Roeder was named to the third team, with a trio of young players making the All-Big Ten Freshman list. Those players are pitcher Garett King, outfielder Luis Alvarado and 1B Scott Schreiber.

Illinois’ David Kerian was named Player of the Year, while teammate Tyler Jay garnered Pitcher of the Year accolades. Michigan’s Jake Bivens took home Freshman of the Year honors, while Fighting Illini mentor Dan Hartleb was tabbed Coach of the Year.

The Nebraska baseball team held a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning on Saturday, before rain sent the game into a near two hour delay in Champaign, IL. Eventually, the game was called and will not count in the standings.

The Huskers end the regular season with a 34-21 overall record, including a 9-14 Big Ten record and picked up the eighth seed in the conference tournament that begins Wednesday in Minneapolis at Target Field.

Nebraska will open against top seeded Illinois, who has won 26 games in a row. The Huskers will practice at Target Field on Tuesday at 5 p.m. and play the Illini Wednesday at 5:05 p.m.

Top-seeded and fifth-ranked Tabor College used two big innings to claim a 9-4 win over Bellevue University in the championship game of the NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round (Bellevue Bracket) at Roddy Field Friday afternoon.

Tabor earned a trip to the Avista NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho on May 22-29. Bellevue ends its season at 46-15.

The Bluejays plated four runs in the second and five in the fourth to push past the Bruins, claiming their second-consecutive trip to the NAIA World Series.

A grand slam by Tanner Bell in the top of the second inning gave the Bluejays an early 4-0 advantage.

Head coach Duane Monlux has guided the Bruins to five-straight trips to the NAIA National Championship Opening Round in his five seasons as the Bruins’ mentor. The game also marked the end for Bellevue’s five seniors: Tyler Blood, Aaron Brasher, Osvaldo Gonzalez, Sean McManus and Steve Sarcone.

No. 5 Illinois Fighting Illini (45-6-1, 21-1 Big Ten) ran their nation-leading win streak to 26 games with a 10-9 victory. The Huskers scored the game’s final five runs and had the tying run in scoring position with two outs in the top of the ninth, but Tyler Jay closed the door for his 12th save of the season.

The Husker offense finished with nine runs on 14 hits, including home runs from Luis Alvarado and Tanner Lubach, but the offensive output was unable to overcome a season-high four errors.

Trailing 10-7 going into the ninth, the Huskers loaded the bases with a leadoff walk by Lubach, a single by Blake Headley and walk by Jake Meyers. Jay then struck out Alvarado and Ben Miller before pinch hitter Taylor Fish plated two runs with a single to right field. With Meyers on second base, Jake Placzek popped out to shallow right field to end the game.

Top-seeded Tabor College picked up an 11-5 win over Bellevue University Thursday night in the rain-delayed NAIA Baseball National Championship Opening Round (Bellevue Bracket) at Roddy Field. The two teams will meet at 1 p.m. on Friday in the second championship game. The winner will earn a ticket to Lewiston, Idaho to the Avista NAIA College World Series on May 22-29.

Tabor opened the game with seven-straight singles off Bruin starter Sean McManus for a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Four different Bluejays drove in runs in the opening frame.

Kevin Rodriguez hit a two-run homer to left field in the bottom of the seventh to pull the Bruins to within 6-3. In the eighth, down 7-5 three, Todd Nicks hit a two-run homer to close to 7-5, but the Bluejays pulled away in the top of the ninth, scoring four runs, highlighted by a two-run single by Matthew Molbury to extend the lead back to six runs at 11-5.